


It’s About You (it always has been)

by Yellowtaffeta



Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Impressions for everyone, Voltron meets PERN meets Lisa Frank, except shiro, for all those that ever wanted a giant psychic cat, or dragon, sry bby, this is so a thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-28 05:37:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11411340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yellowtaffeta/pseuds/Yellowtaffeta
Summary: For thousands of turns the Prides have defended ARUS from the baleful eye of the dark star.  It is now the ninth pass and the lion men have dwindled.  Only Pride Garrison is left to face the coming sweep of the rouge planet.  Not that anyone thinks the dark star more than a legend after such a long interval.  But the Galra are coming.  It is up to four newly impressed rookies and a Paladin with the wrong lion to face the coming disaster.Because lions must fly when there are Galra in the sky!





	It’s About You (it always has been)

**Author's Note:**

> So this was originally written for the Kmeme forever ago even though its like the most gen thing that ever genned. But it wouldn't leave me alone so here it is. I love the idea of a Voltron PERN cross and hopefully you guys will too :)

 

Seas boil and mountains move

Sands heat lions prove. 

Loose the skies and sear the grasses

Till the draining dark star passes

 

The wide bowl of the birthing ground is bigger than Lance ever imagined it could be.He can only see all of it for a moment as the yellow lion that’s carrying him swings through the crag.It brushes wings with at least four other felines as they maneuver in the tight space. 

Most cadets appear to be worried about the cats crashing into each other.This seems silly to Lance.He’s doing the opposite, leaning out of his seat, pointing and shouting wildly. 

“Wooohoo!Oh my god is that the queen?!Can we fly closer?Would a lion fit through that hole in the ceiling?Can we try it?Thread the needle?Ohhhhh! Are those the cubs?!They’re so cuuuuute!How many are there?” 

And maybe all this nonsense is flying out of his mouth because he’s nervous but it could be worse, he could be Hunk.

He spies Hunk flying past on a tall green cat with tabby yellow markings.The other boy is covering his mouth with his hands and looks a biiiit nauseous.Lance leans off the side of his mount and waves his arms wildly to get his attention.Hunk’s eye’s go wide as dinner plates and he hastily leans over the side of his cat.The green lion twists as if she’s avoiding something unsavory and drops from sight. 

Yep, worse things could be coming out of his mouth. 

Lance turns his attention elsewhere, secure in the knowledge he was seen and appreciated.He ignores his own escort as they yell at him to sit down or fall off already. 

He’s deposited on the sands and gosh is it hotter down here than he thought it would be.He hops from foot to foot and tries to press as close to the front of the group as he can.This puts him somewhere in the middle which is ridiculously unfair.But hey, there’s Hunk and they are definitely going to impress so who cares about all the stupid obsolete cadets in front of them.He keeps that thought repeating in his head, smothering the sudden anxiety that tries to tell him otherwise. 

“What were you thinking!?” Hunk squeaks grabbing Lance’s arm as they are swept together in the tight space. 

“You could have fallen!If you get your own cat you’re going to be the worst flier!” 

Lance scoffs.“Excuse you, I am going to be the BEST flier and my lion will love me while yours is gonna have to put up with you puking all over it all the time.”He pokes Hunk’s arm and the big guy rubs it sniffling. 

“Oh my god!What lion would want me barfing on it all the time?!Maybe we didn’t think this through…”Hunk panics, pulling at his hair. 

Lance tries to respond but there’s this rhythmic purring that’s been getting louder and louder and really, contrary to whatever everyone else says he really did think this through.No way is he going to get old and become a fisherman like all the other kids he grew up with, crammed into Searock Hold.Like hell is he going to sit around all day smoking a pipe that probably has more fish oil in it than smoke.And hey, giant flying lions and the title defender of Arus both sound super cool! 

This has nothing to do with the fact that stupid mullet boy got taken on search.Has nothing to do with the storms that have rocked the Tigris coast, chewing up his father’s boat and spitting it out along with the broken bones of his dream to become a master fisherman.Nothing to do with the fact that his sisters never seem to have shoes and are getting looks from greasy men twice their age.And he certainly HAD NOT clung to the tail of the wingleader's lion when they’d been going to leave without him.The jerk had said that Lance would make a better first meal for a cub than a lion rider so then his mama had whacked the man with a big log of dried Arusian cod.Lance sniffed.God he missed her already. 

But if he had never made it to the pride he never would have met Hunk!He looked to his left at the big guy with his ridiculous head band, fingers between his teeth as he chewed on his nails.Hunk was from the craft hall and Lance still hadn’t figured out why the guy had left.He’d confided to Lance on their first night in the dinning hall that he’d gotten horribly airsick just as the lion carrying him had come out of between and puked all over the rider’s leathers.Lance had laughed uproariously at the image, now secure in his knowledge that swinging from a lion’s tail and almost causing a crash into a nearby mountain was not the worst way to get here. 

Because here was the sands of the birthing cavern and Lance was going to get what he’d always wanted.A lion, and maybe finally some appreciation for how ridiculously awesome he was.From now on he was going to come out on top.No disgustingly tasteless mullet could stop him now.Life was going to be make’in bacon purrfect. 

The ground seemed to thrum beneath his sandaled feet, the mewls of the kittens carrying to him as the purring reached a fever pitch. 

And then Lance’s amazingly perfect life started quiet abruptly without his permission. 

There was a bang, a scream, and suddenly a midget was climbing Hunk and uh’uh, oh no.No way was some stick figure of a kid going to best friend jack his Hunk.Before he could be left behind he latched onto the duo.The midget was saying something about lions in their general vicinity, absolving themselves of all ill will Lance might have held against them. 

“OH!OH! Hunk go!We are getting those lions!” 

Lance’s toes scrabbled in the sand as he put his considerably overwhelming attentions into pushing Hunk forward.And maybe because he was just that awesome he pushed so hard that Hunk unbalanced and all three of them went sprawling onto the sand.Which was decidedly less awesome especially since he seemed to have lost his sandals somewhere in the mess and his feet were ON FIRE. 

But that was the least of his worries.Looking up he finally caught sight of the commotion that was ruining what was supposed to be the best moment of his life.It was a bit confusing really, a big wall of black and red and also maybe a few hundred herd beasts?And wouldn’t you know it, he’d recognize that mullet anywhere.A dark head of hair was dodging between frightened animals to reach the far wall of the cave. 

Stupid Keith and his stupid need to be cool while Lance had his chin buried in an inch and a half of sand. 

He began struggling to his feet, his rival’s name on his tongue.“Kei—mph!” 

And now there was SAND on his tongue instead because something had dared to put itself between him and his rival and he’d fallen over again.Something cool to the touch, that let out an annoyed mrower when he didn’t immediately get off of it. 

Lance flipped around and unlike in all his fantasies of this moment where he stared into a pair of beautiful eye’s that he’d never been able to decide a color for, the first thing he saw was a thick coat of cerulean blue fur. Light as eggshells under the chin and shot through with silver stripes like fish on its back.The cub was super awkward, flailing on it’s side, all big paws and shaggy coat and Lance snorted, a ridiculous feeling bubbling up in his chest like fresh water on rocks, so strong it blocked out his mind screaming ‘Lion! Lion Oh Ma Stars Lion!’ 

“Sorry, sorry bro.”He grinned, probably looking a little crazed as he reached out to sink his hands into the deep blue fur and help the kit roll back onto it’s feet.And ohhh, Lance had never felt anything so soft and perfect in all his LIFE. 

His hands were frozen in the cubs ruff as it rubbed sand from it’s face with a big sky blue paw and Lance knew the world was ending because suddenly he was speechless, his brain short circuiting around glowing blue eyes flecked with silver.Suddenly he was back at Searock, diving for clams and staring out over the drop where the reef plunged into the ocean depths.The deepest blue lit with the occasional fish and Lance was DROWNING. 

It could have been seconds, it could have been hours before the lion cub blinked and Lance sucked in a breath to his burning lungs.Yep there was still sand in his mouth but who CARED?He cleared his throat. 

“Are… are you ok?”He stuttered. 

_I am hot and hungry._

The cub, _Azulon!_ He was told insistently, mewled loud and piteously. 

 _Why is it so hot?_ He whined. 

“Ok.”Lance breathed, blinking rapidly.For some reason his eye’s felt wet.“Ok little man lets fix that.” 

His hands ruffled the tips of Azulon’s round fluffy ears and his cub purred. 

 _I like that too._ He rumbled, a wave of bright sparkling warmth washing across the bond with his voice and Lance thought his face might split in half from smiling so wide. 

Despite his promises he could have stayed sprawled on the ground with Azulon for days, but the moment was broken by the deep lowing of a terrified herd beast alarmingly close behind them. 

The blue lion bristled and Lance scrambled up and around, crouching to shield his cub from whatever was coming at them.The spooked animal was frantic, thundering towards them across the sands.Waving his arms wildly Lance tried to scare it away the only way he could think of.In the rush of his impending death he scanned the chaos around them for traces of the black mullet that had just run past.It was nowhere to be seen

The herd beast changed course at the last tick, hooves kicking up a spray of sand around them as it spun in a new direction and Lance cursed.There was sand in places and it was never coming out. 

From beside him Azulon yowled, worry and fear shooting through their bond and Lance fought to find what his cat was looking at.The blue lion was already launching himself after the herd beast and Lance flailed after him.And suddenly he could see it, another lion cub hunkered down in the sand, ears pinned to its red skull as the terrified animal thundered toward it. 

Azulon’s haunches bunched underneath him and Lance screamed.

_________________________________________________

 

From the pride and from the sky

Red and blue, yellow and green

Rise the lion hearts of Arus

Aloft, on wing, seen then unseen

 

The food in the dinning hall wasn’t very good.That was something Hunk planned to change whether he managed to impress a lion or not.Still, he’d eaten a lot of it in the short time he’d been at Pride Garrison.Probably because he kept throwing it back up. 

Shifting on the hot sands he rubbed his tummy and counted the number off on his fingers.One had been all over the blue rider’s leathers on his first ever trip a lion back.He’d gotten it all down the man’s front and Hunk remembered the rider looking preeeety upset with his passenger.Must not like his herd beast and tubers chunky with extra sauce. 

And that seemed to set the trend for Hunk’s flying career. 

Numbers two and three happened during short ‘recreational’ flights around the pride instigated by the younger paladins.Funny, Hunk’s pretty sure the other cadets went tons but he only got asked twice.Lance had said he was lucky to get out of being hazed which Hunk didn’t really get, it was only hazy in the mornings and they usually went flying closer to night fall. 

Number four… Number four didn’t really count.The Klah at breakfast had been extra bad and then Lance had toppled a pile of the oldest, foulest smelling records in existence right on top of Hunk’s personage.He really hoped they hadn’t been important because if they had been unintelligible before… now they were just plane gone.

Speaking of Lance, number five had just happened and was totally his fault too.Leaning out of the saddle and flailing around like that.Who did he think he was?!Master craftsman Wade after one too many of master brewer Amalgamus’ wines?He glanced around for the tall lanky form of the first friend he’d made since leaving the craft hall, spotting Lance a little way back and to the left.Hunk made his way over, intent on giving Lance a piece of his mind.Squeezing his way through the throng he rattled off apologies for crushed toes and squished feet.

As soon as the gangly boy caught sight of him he began grinning that crooked smile that Hunk thought looked like a shark, or a whale.Or maybe a hamster since Hunk had never seen a shark or a whale.Hamster Lance was never a helpful Lance so Hunk spoke first. 

“What were you thinking!?” He hissed in his most serious of voices.His stomach was still rolling unpleasantly and maybe this whole plan to improve Lance’s safety instincts was also a little bit payback for any gastro intestinal difficulties that may or may not have occurred ten ticks ago. 

Lance grinned, continuing his accurate impression of various chubby cheeked rodents while he gestured wildly and rambled about how awesome he was.

So maybe his friend was just a little bit nervous too.Still nothing compared to the simmering pot of panic that was sitting in Hunk’s stomach kitchen, threatening to boil over at any moment. 

Lance’s monologuing didn’t care.

“—my lion will love me while yours is gonna have to put up with you puking all over it all the time.”The lanky boy grinned loftily prodding Hunk in his boiling tummy for good measure.

And there it was, the last logs on the hypothetical panic pot fire and his stomach has left the building folks.Hunk moans, pulling at his hair.“Oh god what lion would want me barfing on it all the time?!Maybe we didn’t think this through…”

Hunk sure hadn’t.He’d been too busy working on the device he was building. A new kind of pesticide that would cure the plague decimating the crops in recent years.He was developinga contraption with a nozzle to spray the golden liquid accurately over long distances.The master craftsman had been so impressed when he’d shown him, Wade had asked Hunk to participate in his own personal research.Which had involved a lot of tubs full of purple glowing stuff that Hunk was too embarrassed to admit he didn’t understand.AND THEN the lion men had come and for some reason Wade had insisted Hunk go with THEM. 

That was when the first strings of unease had found their way into his heart.He was a great cook, loved to fix anything broken or fiddle with the unknown.How did any of that make him a good candidate for lion rider?Sure every child on Arus dreamt of impressing a lion at some point in their youth but right now Hunk just hoped someone was working on his plant pesticide or there would be nothing for him, or anyone else to cook soon. 

He chewed on his nails, a nervous habit he’d developed recently.Lance usually told him to knock it off but a quick glance to the side showed his friend intently focused on the sands in front of him.Hunk giggled around his fingers, or maybe snorted.Whatever Lance could see it sure wasn’t lion cubs.Too many legs and shoulders in the way and you know, maybe that was really ok. 

Maybe if he just started slowly backing up no one would notice if there was one less cadet eager to impress.Lance would probably be supportive of him not wanting a lion.More to go around for the others right?Slowly Hunk turned on his heel, ready to begin making his way back through the crowd. 

So he missed it entirely when something made a loud bang, smashing into the sands behind him.What he did not miss was the great lowing rumble that started up at the exit.Ok, so faced with a stampede of herd beasts maybe he did want a lion after all! 

Hunk tried to turn back around as those at the back rushed forward to get out of the way, smashing him into the hard backs of those in front.Any progress towards the exit he had made was negated as he found himself smushed up against Lance right where he’d started. 

“Hey bud.”He waved trying to ease the bug eye’d look that was over taking Lance’s face.It did not help, if anything making his eye’s widen even further.Hunk didn’t really blame him.He was getting pretty squished here and oh hey, it seemed there WAS still breakfast left in his stomach and Lance was Right. There. 

“Don’t you dare!”He screeched when Hunk’s smile turned queasy.Divine punishment at it’s finest. 

But before the abused dregs of his stomach could get up close and friendly with Lance’s face a foot planted itself firmly on his personage.And then that foot was followed by a hand and then a pair of arms was hauling a miniature person up his body to coil around his head and all thoughts of throwing up on Lance were shelved in favor of figuring out who was yanking on his head band. 

A firm tug had him careening around to face the front once more.Loosing sight of the oncoming herd beasts in the process.

“Ahhhhh!Small person on my head what are you doing?!”He yelled, arms grabbing for whatever of the intruder’s body he could find.He missed entirely.Turned out she (because yes, that was a pair of breasts pressed into the back of his head) was a lot smaller than he’d through.

“I’m getting us out of here!”The girl, (and what was a girl doing here?!What are YOU doing here?His brain countered) shouted, voice rough and lower than he’d expected.And he couldn’t argue with that logic, not with all the screaming and squishing that was going on around them but this interloper on his head clearly had more behind her choice of direction than just safety and sure enough when he asked what was up there she faltered. 

“Uhhh…Baby lions?”

Great, just what Hunk wanted to hear.But Lance was still there and Hunk had made the huge mistake of not telling his friend that maybe he didn’t want a lion all that much after all and could we please not?Because for all the tall boy’s skinny build when he wrapped his arms around Hunk and PUSHED, Hunk went. 

Feet tripping on downed cadets and vision obscured by the hands in his face it really was a miracle they made it as far as they did before his foot caught on something and they all fell, tumbling onto the sand. 

Hunk groaned, flat on his back.He could cross off three person wheel barrow races from his list of possible inventions.On his back staring up at the hole in the cave ceiling Hunk knew he needed to get back on his feet, there was a horrifying number of herd beasts running around trampling things, not to mention whatever had made the ground shake.From the corner of his eye he could see the great expanse of the dead white lion and her unnaturally still body set his nerves on edge.But what finally made Hunk feel the need to move NOW was the looming figure of wingleader Iverson stalking towards him, the hard steel of a knife drawn in his hand. 

Hunk blinked, Iverson swung.He didn’t think he’d ever moved so fast in his life.One moment the knife was coming down in a silver arch, the next his back thumped into the cooling white fur of the dead lion behind him.His arm stung.Soft fur beneath his hand wriggled. 

Hunk stared up as the man advanced. 

“What…?”He blinked again as if that would set the world straight from where it had tilted.Iverson didn’t smile, he looked irritated. 

“Stand still cadet, I have more important things to do right now.”He glanced to the right at an expanse of lion hide as black as the queen had been white. 

Hunk felt dumb when all that would come out of his mouth was another, “What?” 

The fur under his hand wriggled again. 

Iverson turned back to him with a tight lipped smile.“You didn’t think we really wanted you to impress, did you?” 

Hunk swallowed, his heart hammering.Iverson snorted. 

“I told Wade he was wrong about you being smart.”He crouched down in front of Hunk, knife between them.“But he wouldn’t stop going on about how you KNEW and that your little pesticide project needed to be stopped and unfortunately the pride owe him so this… inconvenience,” 

He lifted the knife. 

“…falls to me.” 

There was no closing his eyes for this.Mind still reeling Hunk watched as the knife arched down at him a second time. 

And then the world tilted again.His hand rose up clocking Iverson in the nose.Or maybe it was the lion cub under his hand that rose up, wide jaws coming to clamp around the knife and half of Iverson’s hand.The wingleader screamed, rolling away, blood pouring from his nose and hand. 

And Hunk looked down at a kit the color of honey and cream.Long fur, dark underneath tapering out into an almost snowy white at the tips.Great marigold bristles draped under either side of it’s mouth which was clamped around a silver knife.Hunk stared into amber eyes that blinked up at him brightly. 

 _What?_ Meleon wanted to know. _I am hungry._  

He meowed spitting the knife to the sands and licking his lips. _And my mouth hurts._  

Hunk sunk his hands into Meleon’s whiskers. 

“Little dude you just bit a knife.”He marveled turning his lion’s head back and forth to asses the damage. 

And then it hit him like that pile of records from the day before and maybe Iverson was right when he’d said Hunk wasn’t the brightest glowstone in the basket 

This was HIS lion. 

Lance would laugh later when Hunk told him his first thoughts on that revelation where ‘OH HAIRBALLS!’ 

Meleon blinked liquid amber eyes up at him and Hunk dropped him like a hot coal. 

“Nope no, nope.You don’t want me.Some dude just tried to kill me!”He squeaked, voice going up into dangerous decibels. 

Meleon flailed in his lap as Hunk tried to wriggle out from under the kit.He made it to his knees and began crawling away when a pair of strong jaws clamped onto the hem of his white shirt and damn, this kit was heavier than he looked.Hunk unbalanced onto the sand again and they went down in a pile of limbs, Meleon refusing to release him. 

“I’ll puke on you!”Hunk warned. 

His lion purred, licking sand from his face with a wide flat tongue. 

 _But you will also get me food._ He rumbled. 

Hunk blew out a breath into the sand.“Can’t really argue with that.” 

Satisfaction purred across the link from the yellow kit as he kneaded Hunk’s side and the craft hall boy knew he was done being a craft hall boy.This was how it was going to be. 

Finally at peace he would have allowed Meleon to curl up on top of him as he seemed inclined to do until a familiar scream cut the air.Hunk came alert. 

“That was Lance!”He cried pushing himself back to his feet.Meleon rolled off onto the sands and Hunk swept him up into his arms before setting off at a trot.His nerves carried through the bond and Meleon thrummed anxiously. 

“Gotta find Lance, he’ll love you.”Hunk assured him as they went. 

 _You can put me down._ Meleon huffed.

_________________________________________________

 

The claw points

At an eye black as night

Alert the prides

All lions to the fight

With fangs in our hearts

There’s galra in our sights

 

 

The sand of the kitting ground was hot beneath Pidge’s sandals.She flexed her toes against the burning itchy feeling in a bid to distract herself from the equally hot ball of anxiety burning in her chest. 

It was a cat, just a baby cat.There was no need to feel so nervous.She needed this cat, needed it to find Matt and Dad and that was ALL.But then the cries of the kits would reach her from beyond the stupidly tall cadets at the front and she would find herself drenched in a new layer of sweat. 

Standing on tiptoe she strained to see the kits where they lay on the sands, kneading their oversized paws blindly into the cooling flank of their dead mother.The obese hulk of the last white lion of Arus was all she could see through the legs and torsos of the hopeful boys around her. 

And once again she was accepting of her height.It hid her from the prying eyes of pricks like wingleader Iverson who would have removed her from the sands immediately if he’d known she was trying to impress. 

Iverson had not found Pidge on search, no he had found Katie Holt.Or more to the point Katie Holt had found him.And now she was barred from coming within lion sight of the pride cliffs where the garrison was housed.That was where Pidge had come in.Pidge who had been constructed to get Katie into the harper hall, not the pride but such were the times. 

It was a good thing the garrison needed its tithes from the surrounding holds so desperately or they might have looked closer at the under developed son of minor holder Gunderson.After that it had been a simple matter of lying and misdirection, something both Katie and Pidge where _very_ good at, to worm their way into the group of cadets for this kitting. 

The last kitting.For the last white lion of Arus had not birthed a white cub and now she was dead.Her great hulking form stretched unnaturally on the sands before them instead of vanishing between after her grief stricken paladin.Absently Pidge adjusted her glasses and wondered how the garrison intended to get the corpse out of the birthing cavern.Or maybe that was a moot point since there would be No. More. Lions. 

And there lay the catch, if she impressed she would have her lion, would be able to search for her family.She would also be the last line of defense between the entire world and the Galra.The dark star drew ever closer and the pride would be expected to defend Arus.The only thing that could defend Arus.A measly wing of lions, and none to replace them should they fall.Too bad she didn’t intend to still be ON Arus for that. 

Most Arusians didn’t even believe the Galra were still coming and she didn’t blame them.It had been at least 400 turns since the last pass of the dark star.Pidge wouldn’t believe it herself if she hadn’t seen it through the star stone she’d personally constructed on hold Holt’s fire pits, hadn’t pieced it together from ancient scraps of barely legible records, heard it sung about in obscure harper ballads.Crack dust, black dust indeed.

These long intervals had happened before. 

She new her teaching songs good as any hold born child.Better, after she had decided to force her way into the harper hall.Hold Holt’s harper had sung her and Matt the songs for as long as she could remember.So when the shadow of the claw stone had lined up with the eye rock and she’d looked through to find a mass of purple and black blinking balefully back at her she’d known.And maybe if wingleader Iverson didn’t have his head jammed so far up his ass he couldn’t hear her others would know too. 

Irritably Pidge shook her head, trying to clear it of the deep rumbling purr that seemed to be coming from everywhere before a collective intake of breath from the other cadets drew her attention. 

“Look!”Someone shouted pointing up towards the ceiling.And then the ground bucked beneath her as a great black shape plummeted from the sky landing hard on the hot sands of the breeding den. 

Suddenly the birthing grounds were flung into chaos, Cadets were shrieking while full grown lions where swooping from the wings above them.Her glasses knocked askew, Pidge could see nothing beyond the mess of arms and legs.Jostled left and right by bodies larger than her own she tried desperately to keep her feet underneath her. 

“Move!”She growled shoving her arms out. 

“Dude!”An annoyingly high pitched voice wheezed back. 

Finally righting her glasses Pidge blinked up into the dark skinned face of a lanky cadet who looked mildly familiar.Upon closer inspection she had her hands shoved into his chest and one foot braced on the stomach of the big guy in yellow behind him. 

“Ouuuuch!Ok whoever’s foot that is could you please remove it?Like sooner than later because I ate a lot at breakfast this morning.In hindsight not such a good plan!And now I think it’s getting squeezed out of me!”The big guy with the headband paled, clapping a hand over his mouth. 

Oh right, she’d seen these two in the dinning hall.Tall and mouthy never sat still and mr. chunk always finished his friend’s food for him. 

Her eye’s narrowed.She could use them. 

“Commin up big guy.”She huffed using handfuls of the boy’s clothing and hair to scramble on top of the hulking teen’s shoulders. 

“Ahhhh!”He cried, arms flailing and she grabbed his bandana to steady herself. 

“Dude?!”The skinny boy’s voice went up another octave and his eye’s bugged out as he stared up at her on top of his friend’s head. 

But Pidge was already using her new perch to scan the cavern for whatever was causing such a commotion. 

It wasn’t hard to see what had gone wrong.Or more accurately what things plural were currently going wrong.At the head of the vast white carcass, past the mewling grey kits that Pidge could now see, lay an even bigger mass of black and red.And cutting its way through the crowd towards it was a stampede.Of herd beasts.In a den full of lions. 

“Shards.”Pidge swore. 

“Big man go right!”She yanked hard on the yellow guy’s headband using it as reins to swing them around

“Ahhhhh!Small person on my head what are you doing?!”The hunk flailed his arms in distress. 

“I’m getting us out of here!”Pidge bellowed above the roaring of lions and screams of cadets trapped underfoot in the stampede. 

“Not without me you aren’t!”The tan boy yelled, clamping his arms as far around her improvised steed as he could.The big guy wobbled and Pidge clung to his head like a limpet. 

“Whatever just go straight!”She screeched. 

“And what happens if I do that?!”Bandana boy yelled back clearly beginning to panic. 

“Uhhh…”Pidge blanked for a moment.For some reason telling the gastrointestinaly challenged kid that he was headed towards a possibly hostile lion and a disturbing number of herd beasts didn’t seem like a good way to calm his stomach. 

“Baby lions?”She tried, cringing when the words came out sounding like a question. 

“OH!OH!Hunk go!We are getting those lions! Go!”Tall and lanky saved the day, now actively pushing the aptly named Hunk in the direction she had pointed them in. 

Pidge locked her ankles around Hunk’s head and held on tight.Teaming up with Mouthy and Mountain had definitely been a good plan, Pidge congratulated herself as they waded through a sea of panicking, injured cadets.Pulling free of the mass at last Hunk finally lost his footing and stumbled sending all three of them sprawling onto the burning sands. 

Pidge rolled, getting a mouthful of the stuff before sliding to a stop.Sitting up she spat grains from her mouth in disgust.Luckily she’d held onto her glasses.Rubbing the grit from her eye’s she prepared to give Hunk a few choice words. 

But when her vision finally cleared she could only stop and stare at the brightest, greenest pair of eyes she had ever seen. 

It was like looking into a forest, lush and rife with secrets behind each leaf and Pidge wanted to discover them all.Katie could live her whole life on the sight of those eye’s alone.Pidge would devote herself to anything this creature wanted. 

And suddenly she knew.This wasn’t going to be about the Galra, it wasn’t going to be about her father or Matt, no matter how much she loved them.No, her whole life, her whole world was going to be about…

 _Greon_ the purring voice in her head meowed. 

Greon, the most perfect creature in all the universe.The purr rumbled up into what was unmistakably a kitten giggle. 

 _You are perfect too._ Greon told her. _I did not want to stay here anyway._

Pidge laughed.tears streaming down her cheeks as she tackled the lion cub who was no longer grey but a shining iridescent green smattered with spots of deepest inky blue.They tumbled to the sands in a heap, Pidge carding her fingers through Greon’s thick hair and her lion.Hers!Lapping at the salty tears that sparkled on her cheeks. 

“How did I ever live without you?”Katie breathed gently stroking Greon’s ears, once again lost in the stars of her eyes. 

 _I don’t know._ Her lion purred, so honest and true that Pidge laughed into the fuzz of her chin. 

And then the wall of black hide beside them heaved. 

Greon snapped upright hissing.Pidge crouched by her cat as the hulking mass sat up revealing itself to be a black lion with crimson red wings.It struggled to fold them for a moment, finally settling to reveal the shape of a person staggering to their feet beside it.Pidge and Greon watched as the man coughed, sliding back to his knees like a rag doll.A shock of unfamiliar white hair fell into an all too familiar face.Pidge felt a spark go through her, it was all coming together, Matt, Greon and now Takashi…

 

_________________________________________________

 

The hold is barred

The hall is bare

The brave have vanish

The soil crumbles

The rock cracked

All hopes we banish

 

Keith checked his knife, checked the sun, checked his runner beast’s tack one last time.There was a good chance he would never see the animal again.If he did not come back. 

The strange compulsion that had drawn him back to Pride Garrison after so many weeks was as much a mystery now as it had been that morning when he’d saddled up and left his cave driven by a force he did not understand.All he knew was that he was there, something was there, HE was the something that was there.And there was nothing for him in this cave.

Now outside the pride cliffs Keith began to climb.The rocks were sharp but no harder to traverse than the crags he’d grown up climbing as a holdless child.You did not survive holdless if you could not climb and maybe that was what had made him want a lion to begin with.Seeing the world from such great heights he’d thought nothing could take him higher until he’d caught the silhouette of a lion circling far above him in the clear sky.Since then flying had seemed like the only possible path he could take. 

He’d idolized the calm, collected red rider that made supply trips to the nearby settlement.Shiro had made the pride sound like a dream.Until he’d actually ARRIVED and Shiro hadn’t been there.The walls had loomed close around him, tight and hot and so full of people that called him names for slights he did not understand.Suddenly where he’d come from and who he was related to MATTERED and he could not figure out why. 

He’d tried living in a hold once, a small place by the sea surrounded by hills and even there the walls had crowded too close, the people had looked at him askance when he scaled the cliffs instead of diving into the ocean.The pride had been a gilded cage and suddenly the chance to fly didn’t seem worth it if he couldn’t LEAVE. 

Now he was climbing the pride cliffs not to get his lion, not to fly, no he’d settle for climbing, but he would find this thing that tugged at his chest and put it to rest. 

It seemed hours he spent scrambled up the rocks as the sun crawled up the sky.Cresting the ridge at last he stood even with the star stones and a bit of the day’s mystery was revealed.From across the pride rocks cats winged towards the birthing grounds.It was impression day.Somehow Keith didn’t feel surprised. 

Following the ridge around he made his way towards the cavern as well.Pausing as he closed on the cliff where the cats disappeared inside.He considered.He could go in through the crag as everyone else was but that ment being spotted for sure.That left only one other option, a sizable hole in the ceiling.And now Keith cursed his holdless honed climbing skills for he had not thought to bring a rope. 

Climbing up the slope anyway he surveyed the chasm.It was deep and dark.He would need glowstones as well as rope.Keith frowned, everything present pushed him towards giving up this fools errand yet he could still feel it, that pull that told him he should be inside, was already inside the birthing grounds even now. 

He began to walk the edge of the fissure scanning for a ledge, a hand hold, anything that would take him down.And the farther he went the more a thrumming purr rose from the depths of his thoughts. 

Looking up he froze. A lion lay silhouetted at the edge of the hole before him, long limbs folded beneath it and died a deep red in the sun.Great whirling eyes focused on him.Pinned by it’s gaze, the two black stripes by its eyes, Keith could only watch as it rose gracefully to it’s feet. 

_You are here.Good._

A voice rumbled in his head, twisted and faint as if over a vast distance.Keith’s vision swam, the lion distorting in the air before him. 

And then there was an ear splitting crack and the vision dissolved entirely as a massive black and red form appeared between them plummeting down through the ceiling into the birthing cavern. 

Keith ran to the edge as the massive body thudded onto the sands below.Grasping the ledge he could just make out the sprawled form of what could only be a black lion with red wings on the ground beneath.Remembering the other cat on the ridge he whipped around.But it was gone and in its place lay a length of rope and a basket of glowstones. 

Keith wasted no time rappelling down into the cavern. 

He found it in chaos.Cadets screamed and cats hissed while frantic herd beasts trampled through the crowd. 

Keith stepped onto the sands sheltered behind the white form of what he assumed was the queen.She was very still and if he didn’t know better he would think she was dead.But that made no sense.Unless her paladin had died while she was kitting… Keith put a hand on the cool fur of the white lion to confirm his suspicions.Much had changed since he had left it seemed. 

What he had been called back to accomplish still remained a mystery.The pull that had guided his actions until now vanishing as abruptly as it had come leaving Keith standing on the sands, heat seeping into his boots.The only thing he could think to do was investigate the unnatural black and red lion. 

Grabbing handfuls of snowy fur he hoisted himself up, climbing the dead white lion’s flank as deftly as he’d climbed the cliffs outside.In the back of his mind he knew the Garrison paladins would be scandalized to see his foot prints on their queen’s corpse, just one more reason he was not looking for a lion here. 

Cresting the dead white bulk he surveyed the cavern.Wounded or dead cadets lay scattered across the sand.A lucky few seemed to have found cubs.A large boy with a bandana cradled a ridiculously fluffy yellow beast in his arms as he trotted across the sands.The cat had it’s front paws on his shoulder, it’s stubby tail in the boy’s face as it pricked it’s ears to survey around them, unusually long tufts sprouting off of each appendage.Much farther along a small kid and a lithe green kitten rolled in the sand together.And just in front of him a tall tan boy crouched protectively beside a hissing blue cub with ridiculously large paws and blunt rounded ears. 

A herd beast charging the two lowed desperately, changing coarse at the last moment.Keith frowned.The poor beast would be dead from fright soon anyway and the new cubs would need to eat, he remembered that much.It seemed natural to draw his knife.He waited a fraction of a tick as the beast passed him before dropping behind its horns and burying his knife in the creatures neck. 

He wasn’t alone in his idea for even as his blade sank into the spine of the animal a set of sharp teeth crunched through the jugular in front.Dark blood bubbled over his hands as for the second time that day (second?) his eye’s met a pair of deep swirling orange shot through with gold like two miniature suns.Black stripes traced down the kits face like the tracks of tears bleeding into true blood by it’s mouth where the fur lightened to soft rose petals now streaked with the darker red of the kill.A sense of pride welled up in him that Keith felt sure was not fully his own and he would have liked to explore more fully if not for the tan form that slammed into him.His disgruntled huff was mirrored by the red cub… _Palgon_ … As she tumbled away form the dead herd beast under the awkward blue cat. 

“Nope. No you— No, no, no.No you don’t that’s my lion!”The boy on him says as he pulls up to sit on Keith’s legs. 

And Keith frowns.“Who are you?” 

Like so many times before this seems to be the wrong thing to say.The boy stiffens, a fierce frown pulling at his features.His mouth opens ridiculously wide as he gestures around himself. 

“Who am I?Uh, the names Lance.We were from the same hold.We got taken on the same search.” 

Keith frowns.This ‘Lance’ must be mistaken.He doesn’t have a hold, he’s never had a hold except for… that short time on the coast…

“Oh, wait.I remember you.You’re a fisherman.”He says and yet Lance still doesn’t look happy. 

“Well, not anymore.I’m a lion rider now I’ll have you know.”He puffs up his chest and looks at the striped blue cub where it sits crunching into the dead herd beast next to Palgon.She meets his gaze and roles her eyes. 

 _Idiots_.The thought rings in his head. 

“Well, congratulations.”He mumbles still tracing the dark lines on Palgon’s face with his eyes.She’s beautiful he thinks.A rumbling satisfied purr answers him across a link he didn’t know was there. 

“Congratulations?Congratulations?!” 

This Lance guy is never going to be happy with what he has to say.Keith huffs tearing his eyes away from the red cub to scowl at the tan boy who’s hands are raised like he wants to grab Keith by the collar and shake him. 

“We’re rivals dude!”He squawks. 

Keith grimaces, his legs are going numb. 

“Sure.”He agrees to shut the kid up.“Can you maybe get off me now?” 

Lance looks down and flushes, scrambling off Keith’s lap, bony knees and elbows digging into Keith’s ribs. 

No sooner does he make it to his feet than the large boy Keith spied earlier arrives, cat still in tow. 

“Laaaaaance!”He wails crashing into the gangly kid and knocking him back to the ground once again.Keith chokes, flattened by the two freshly minted paladins sprawled across his chest.‘At least this new one isn’t as pointy as Lance’ he thinks and the new voice that is Palgon in his head chuffs a throaty purr. 

“Ouch!Sorry Meleon.”The new kid yelps as his cub sinks it’s claws into him for crushing it in this absurd cuddle pile.The cat pulls himself up, flicking his short stubby tail to show his annoyance before trotting off to join Palgon and the blue crunching into the herd beast. 

“Lance are you ok?!I heard a scream.I thought—“ 

Keith clears his throat scowling up at the touching reunion that is occurring on his chest.He can’t breath and this is exactly why he doesn’t like the pride.The chunky boy has the grace to look chagrined while Lance just grins in his face.They right themselves, disentangling from a messy pile of six arms and legs.Once up Keith goes to collect his knife while the other two gossip.He listens while wiping his blade clean on the dead queen’s white shoulder. 

“Sooooo Hunk… is that your lion?”Lance drawls and even if Keith really can’t remember him he can still picture the gratuitous eyebrow wiggling that is occurring. 

“Yeaaah, that’s Meleon.”Hunk’s voice practically glows.“He’s the cyutest!” 

Keith gags as the conversation devolves into baby talk. 

“Nu’uh, Azulon is way cuter!”Lance laughs and Keith sheaths his knife with a role of his eyes.A high whining sound starts, like flies trapped in a jar, and he looks over to see the two scowling in each others faces, arms crossed making noises like five year olds. 

He walks around the carcass to Palgon to ask if she’s full.The cub licks her lips, red blood darkening on her already red face. 

 _Yes._ She sends him, standing up to her full height and wow she’s almost past his hip, all legs and lean lines.Hunk and Lance notice as they turn to leave. 

“So that must be…”Hunk trails off, no doubt pointing at Palgon. 

“Hey mullet head what’s your cat’s name?”Lance yells at him and Keith feels his brow twist into a frown.He glances at Palgon and she sends him a short blast across their link, something equivalent to indifference so Keith speaks. 

“Palgon.” 

He says the word for the first time and is unprepared for the burst of pride that blooms in his chest as he snakes a hand down into her ruff as they walk side by side.Because she’s so tall he can do that. 

“Well congrats on impressing jerk.”Lance calls after them and it’s only then that Keith pauses and thinks ‘oh, she’s my cat.’ 

Palgon looks at him with her eyes that are the sun and he snorts.It’s not like he came here to get her or anything.Not like he came here expecting to learn how to fly with his feet never leaving the ground. 

From behind him the voices are fading as he searches for where to go next but Keith can still hear them. 

“Oh holy crow!Lance listen!Wingleader Iverson just attacked me!”Hunk squeaks and Keith pauses. 

“Uhhhhh, buddy that’s something you might want to mention first next time.”Lance warbles nervously.“You mean the same Iverson who’s sporting a bloody nose and about ten feet behind us?!”

“Holy Quiznak!”Hunk’s voice breaks. 

“Hunk what the hairy balls did you do?!”Lance yells and their voices are getting closer now.Keith turns around to see the two boys booking it in his direction pursued by an irate wingleader, nose streaming and one hand hanging limp at his side.It’s a beautiful sight and beside him Palgon purrs. 

“Uhhh I might have punched him in the face… And Meleon de—handed him.”Hunk looks over his shoulder distress painted clearly on his face. 

 _Yes?_ Palgon prompts him. 

Just defend he tells her.She shrugs her compliance. 

But the world is still a mess and so before his hand even touches his knife someone else stumbles into the oncoming wingleader.Someone tall, with broad shoulders and close cropped hair.And although his bangs are now a stark white and there’s a half healed gash bisecting his face Keith knows him.It’s Shiro, the only person in this entire hell hole worth Keith’s time. 

Iverson shoves him hard and awe hell no.Keith has his knife out before he can think and Palgon purrs.

 

_________________________________________________

 

Drummer beat and piper blow

Harper strike and soldier go

Scour the heavens and protect the passes

Till the draining dark star passes

 

There was nothing quite like waking up to sand prickling heat into your face Shiro thought blearily.He’s not at all sure how he got here only that everything leading up to this string of events must have been very unpleasant.His entire body hurts and the sand is not helping.He’s floating hazily in some sort of half aware state and there’s the vague thought that this is all going to hurt so much more when he truly wakes up. 

Instinctually he reaches out to Kerberon for comfort, but his lion is not there.Instead a pool of black swirls into his thoughts and Shiro reals back with a shout.He convulses, hands burying themselves in the sand, panic seizing his heart.The haze is receding and he struggles to alertness, desperately reaching across the link to what should be his lion but isn’t. 

‘Kerberon!Kerberon!’ 

He’s screaming in his head, would be screaming out loud but his throat has closed up because the only answer he’s getting is this alien blackness which invades his mind and fills his senses. 

Shiro staggers to his feet, swaying like a drunkard as his head spins.It hurts to open his eyes, too bright, too loud.And there’s something he needs to tell them, something important but he can’t think beyond the not quite empty space in his head where Kerberon used to be, needs to be.He can’t— He can’t loose his lion.He can’t! 

Swaying dangerously Shiro throws out a hand, desperate to catch himself as his knees buckle under him again.His hand buries itself in soft fur and he feels his heart leap in his throat. 

“Kerberon?”His voice comes out in a croak, all his hopes pinned on that one word. 

But when he slits his eyes open, fighting desperately against the stabbing pain in his skull he’s met with a sprawling hide so dark it seems to suck the light out of everything around it.And Shiro chokes, tears pricking his eyes like knives because Kerberon is red, red as the sky in the morning, red as the blood that beats in his heart and this is not him. 

Something in his chest breaks and he feels the sob bubbling from deep inside him before it ever reaches his mouth.His knees are already in the dirt or they would have failed him again.As it is he slumps, one hand fisting in the unfamiliar material of his shirt, the other still buried in the black fur of the creature beside him. 

He feels like howling.Anything would be better than this.His lion is gone.Kerberon is gone and in his place this THING has already taken up residence.Shiro can feel it moving at the back of his mind, black and thick and so intrusively THERE that there’s just no ignoring it. 

He needs to breath, needs to think.Sitting on the sand he desperately sucks in lungfuls of air as the world whirls around him.The sounds are dimmed, fuzzy from shock and the dark mind constantly pushing at his own.But there is one noise that is being very persistent.It’s just on the edge of his consciousness and slowly resolves into words.A word.His name.Someone is shouting his name and shaking his shoulder.The world is whirling around him, a mess of over bright colors and shapes and he shakes his head, slow and careful, in hopes it will clear.Blinking back tears he looks up. 

It’s Matt.Matt Holt is shaking his arm, face clearly concerned, those big amber eyes glazed behind his ridiculous glasses and Shiro feels the world slide out from under him again in less than ten ticks because there is something about Matt that is very important that he should remember but he can’t.A sense of relief washes through him so dazzling and bright another sob breaks past his lips. 

But then Matt says his name again and something’s not right.He’s just called him Takashi.Matt has never called him that.Not once in all their years flying together has he ever called Shiro that. 

The dark presence at the back of his mind surges up once again and images flash thorough his head.Matt and Sam unconscious, Matt screaming while he clutches his leg, an answering distressed yowl from Ailieon as his paladin is taken away and then almost too fast to catch, a memory bright as the stars.A large mass of writhing purple and a wind so strong and hot it sears the flesh. 

The dark star. 

He blinks into the face of not Matt and knows.Matt and Sam are gone, he’s left them there on that forsaken planet, he must have. 

But even from the dark star Matt still haunts him, crouches beside him and asks if he’s ok.The concern in this doppelganger’s eyes sears through Shiro’s already flayed mind like a brand and he stumbles away.Why couldn’t the apparition be angry?!Fury would be so much easier to take right now when Shiro knows he’s utterly failed his friend. 

His brain is moving too quick, jumping from image to image like a stone skipping on water, all he knows is that he needs to get away.There’s nothing for him here but ghosts. 

Turning he tries to flee but his legs are still not working, they sway and wobble and Shiro staggers plowing head first into something.Something that can push back.He’s shoved hard, feet twisting together uselessly as he goes down.

He doesn’t even feel his cheek connect with the sand this time, doesn’t feel the heat on his face.He is content to lie where he’s fallen.He floats, numb, a better feeling than the pain of it all by far and makes no protest when the blackness comes like a cloak to wrap him up. 

The last thing he hears before the quiet returns is a deep rumbling voice. 

 _I am Kuron and you are my paladin._  

 

_________________________________________________

 

Raised up in flight

Red wings in a black night

Four and four and one more

Together for the fight

The flight of Kuron by Pidge Gunderson 9:359

 

9TH PASS, TURN 358

Death of Paladin Larmina rider of Queen lion Lamion.Followed four weeks later by her lion after the impression of her kits.

No white Kit birthed in the litter

The kitting is small, barely more than a handful. 

Many die when an unexpected herd beast stampede ravages the birthing grounds, others flee between before impression can be made.

Wing leader Iverson is grievously injured while attempting to save lives.

 

So is it written in the records the day of the last kitting at Pride Garrison.Nowhere are the actions of four new paladins and their cat’s mentioned.

 

Pidge huffs under Takashi’s weight.“Why am I carrying this guy?!”She shouts, sweat soaked hair plastered to her glasses.Hunk gives her an apologetic shrug.His cat is already in his arms as he runs past her headed for who knows where. 

 

Keith wipes his knife on Iverson’s riding leathers.The man looks up at him, eyes still hot though his breath gurgles in his throat.His neck is mangled by Palgon’s jaws.There’s a screaming hiss and his lion turns with him in retreat as the wingleader's full grown blue slams down on the sands to shield its paladin. 

 

Lance has chased Azulon past all the ruckus following the line of steadily shifting black fur.The blue kit disappears around a mass of black and Lance feels his pulse hammer

“Hey, slow down!”He calls after his kit. 

He rounds a great black shoulder and skids to a stop, coming face to face with the biggest, broadest, blackest lion head he’s ever seen.There’s this ruff of fur starting behind it’s ears that just makes it even bigger. 

“Holy hairballs…” 

Lance stares.He doesn’t think he could fit his arms even halfway around it’s neck, not with Keith and Hunk and that little midget kid helping.But what’s really unnerving are the lion’s eyes which are not black at all. No they’re not even close.Broad and wide set they glow a deep bottomless purple that shines with a ferocious intensity that just can not be natural. 

“Azulon!”Lance backs away, calling desperately for his cat. 

The black lion’s jaws open wide, massive teeth longer than Lance’s arm and this is it, he’s dead he’s never going to get to ride Azulon or teach him to swim in the ocean or insult Keith’s stupid mullet or argue about who’s the better lion rider—

The jaws make an audible snap as they close just by his head and Lance peaks an eye open from where he has them squeezed shut tighter than a clam.Because somehow the black lion has missed, fangs tearing into the back of Lance’s shirt and by gosh is he thankful for the ridiculous loose billowing impression clothes they made him wear now. 

But it’s not over, and maybe this wasn’t a miss.Suddenly he’s swinging through the air, dangling from the giant lion’s mouth.He does not scream.Ok maybe he does but it’s very manly he’s sure.Because seriously!Who wouldn’t scream when they’re dangling from an unknown lion’s mouth several feet up in the air?Who?! 

The black swishes him forward and then lets go and Lance finds himself flying for a moment before his face smacks into a massive hairy wall.His mouth is full of bristly black fur and ok so maybe he was screaming his head off a bit back their but he’s made peace with that.A new set of teeth, much smaller, clamp into his abused shirt and Lance looks up into Azulon’s silver fish stare. 

 _We need to go_ the cub sends and Lance huffs. 

“You coulda just told me!”He grumbles grabbing fistfuls of mane as Azulon tugs him the rest of the way onto the black lion’s ruff.

 

The black lion has surged to it’s feet, great crimson wings pouring sand back onto the birthing grounds and Pidge curses.Greon is running in front, pausing to wait for her as Pidge drags one very large, very unconscious Takashi Shirogane beside her. 

Ahead she can see Hunk boosting his lion up the black’s foreleg as the beast leans down to help him.The dark haired boy and his red have disappeared and Pidge feels incredibly miffed at that.He could at least help her drag Takashi back to his stupid mutant lion. 

It won’t leave without them.It can’t Pidge tells herself desperately as giant red wings stretch wide.She’s got it’s paladin, it can’t leave!But they’re running out of time and she’s going too slow she knows.The garrison is regrouping and a large yellow lion slams down in her path, cutting her off from the black and Greon howls, the need to reach the black burning bright across their bond. 

Pidge feels like laughing, what is she doing?She’s got her lion, she’s got her lead on her family and still she is TOO. SLOW.She can’t win, despite all her plans she’s failed and the knowledge cuts like a knife.Matt is gone, Dad is gone, she’s alone and if she can’t do this by herself then there is no hope. 

“Drop the prisoner and we will over look this transgression cadet.”The rider tells her and blinking back sweat Pidge laughs.Not because she has some ridiculous death wish or because Greon is crouched before her like a snake made of green fire.But because from the corner of her eye she can see the dark haired boy and his red cat leaping from the dead queen’s back, claws and knife pointed at the smug yellow rider.

 

The mustard colored cat roars shaking desperately and Keith holds on for dear life where his knife is embedded in hide and bone.Palgon is above him, having got a better leap, her jaws deep in the soft flesh where the cat’s wing meets back. 

The rider above them screams, his own knife flashing out towards Palgon who is closer. 

Let go!He sends her and she does, slamming into him as the blade swipes through empty air and they both go tumbling to the sands. 

His head bounces off the ground and Keith sees stars, but he struggles back to awareness.He can’t stay down, he’s lost his knife and the yellow is regrouping for another pass at them.He shakes his head to clear it as a green streak flashes past and the adult lion yowls in rage. 

Suddenly there’s another body crouched beside him.A voice grumbles.“Please say you can walk.I can’t drag you both.” 

It’s the small kid with the green cub, her shirt sticking to her body with sweat, suppressed panic shining in her eyes.Keith sees Shiro’s unresponsive bulk slung across her back and new found respect bubbles up in his chest.She must not be as scrawny as she looks. 

“I’m good.”He pants pushing back to his feet. 

She stands too, looking after their lions.“Good because Greon is helping distract them but more are coming.” 

Keith can see them too, a myriad of colors massing closer, hemming the black in.The dark lion roars and the very rocks shake but it’s only a matter of time.They need to go. 

“Comm’on.” 

He slings Shiro’s other arm over his shoulders and together they drag him through the sands.The mutant lion crouches when they reach him, foreleg extending like a ramp and the girl pauses looking behind them with wide eyes. 

“Greon!” She pants. 

Keith sends out a mental probe to Palgon and the red rumbles back her agreement. 

“Palgon has her.”He assures his fellow paladin. 

At first she doesn’t look reassured but they have no time so when Hunk reaches down to help Keith pushes her up into his waiting grasp.She squawks but does not protest. 

Getting Shiro up is a bit trickier but with the combined help of Lance, Hunk and the girl they manage somehow.Keith tosses up the length of rope he went to retrieve after downing Iverson and shouts.“Tie him on!” 

He can only hope they know how to tie a proper knot. 

All that’s left is to wait for Palgon and the girl’s green.They come bounding towards him as the black roars again, wind swirling as he beats his wings but it’s only buying them time. 

Palgon jumps, clearing the black’s shoulder on her own but the green is not as tall and in her hiss Keith can all but hear her annoyance at that.She makes a valiant attempt anyway, landing somewhere half way up and Keith boosts her the rest. 

Now it’s just him and as he clears the black’s shoulder the beast straightens up.He has only a moment to think ‘Great cracking teeth it’s crowded up here’ before, with a colossal rush of wind and wings they are taking off.

 

Hunk is good at inventing things which is good because right now he really needs to come up with a way to keep an unresponsive paladin from sliding off of his own lion.Stat.And what have they given him to work with?A couple of baby lions.Two very scrawny paladins and a length of rope.Looking on the bright side the rope is good right? 

They’re screwed.It’s not long enough to loop around the lion’s chest and even if it was they don’t have that kind of time.The closest person is the girl and her back is small and hardly ideal but it will have to do. 

“Sorry bout this but you kinda climbed on my head earlier!”He tells her draping the passed out paladin over her back.He dwarfs her. 

She scowls, glasses askew on her sweaty face.“Just do it!” 

So Hunk wraps the rope around her and sleepy Mc-passed-out-face several times, knotting it off in a bow because why not?And the girl pulls the guy’s arms around her neck. 

Keith the mullet man is scrambling up in front of them with more lion cubs and Hunk does his best to pull both the girl and her passenger tight against him.The dark haired boy grabs both new lions, red and green and holds them tight from his precarious perch on the black’s shoulders.And then the red wings behind Hunk’s legs snap out and the whole lion lurches and OH. SHARDS. That’s right, they’re about to fly.His stomach nose dives.And then they’re vertical, half flying half climbing up the birthing cavern walls to the hole in the ceiling and Hunk wails. 

He can see Lance up on the lion’s head, nestled in the creatures black mane with Azulon and Meleon by his side and that’s comforting at least.As gravity drags on him Hunk hooks his knees tighter around the thrashing wing joints behind him and prays. 

“Next time I get to be in the front!”He shouts and ridiculously Lance lets go with one hand to shoot him a grin and a thumbs up. 

“Shut up!”The girl in front of him pants.“and don’t you dare puke on me!”She adds a moment later. 

“How do you knoooow?!”Hunk wails because really, he’s known her for all of ten minutes and maybe she’s an alien or something, you can never tell. 

They break through the crag in the cave ceiling and the whole sky just opens up. 

Lance whoops.“We did it!” 

“Not yet!”Keith growls over the wind and he’s right.A wing of lions is quickly forming behind them to give chase. 

“What d’we do?!”Hunk screeches and ok, this time it really is a screech. 

“We need to go between!”Wheezes the girl, hands locked tight in the ropes around her middle and gosh Hunk hopes he didn’t tie them too tight. 

“That’s crazy!”Lance gestures wildly from where he’s turned around to face backwards on the lion’s head and Hunk wants to tell him ‘no you’re crazy!’ but he can’t look or his stomach will up end itself. 

“Maybe not.” Keith breaths and Hunk knows he’s surrounded by crazy people. 

“Palgon give these to big black.”Keith closes his eyes and is clearly sending images to his lion.The green under his other arm lets out a very unhappy cat noise and slides a few inches before Keith catches it.The girl in front of him screams.When Keith opens his eyes it’s to tell them to brace themselves. 

“Are we really doing this?”Lance pales though there’s a smile curling his lips. 

“Here we go!”Keith shouts and beneath them the black lion roars. 

Then everything goes dark.

 

7 riders and 3 lions reported injured.26 Herd beasts dead.No new paladins impressed.

 

No mention is made of Takashi Shirogane or the unnatural black lion with red wings.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So I have some ideas for how this would continue if I ever get around to writing again. Let me know if that's something you would be interested in (the original prompt talked about mating flights >_>) In case I don't here's some nerdy notes and comparisons that are too good not to get used.
> 
> Altean Resources Usable and Sustainable—ARUS  
> Artificial Logistics Flagship Oration Record—ALFOR
> 
> Shiro—pride born—Brekke/Jaxom  
> Lance—hold born—Menolly  
> Keith—holdless—Lessa  
> Pidge—Harper hall—F’lar  
> Hunk—craft hall—Fandarel
> 
> Greon—Jaguar—Ramoth  
> Matt’s Ailieon—Leopard—Lytol's blue  
> Kuron—Lion—Ruth Kerberon—Panther—Wirenth  
> Palgon—Cheetah—Golanth  
> Azulon—Tiger—Menmenth  
> Meleon—Lynx—Canth


End file.
